Save You From Yourself
by Zairan Mai
Summary: Jasper/Bella one shot. I think I wrote it before starting Leather and Lace, or between chapter one and two of Leather and Lace. It doesn't follow Leather and Lace at all, it's just something that was fun. Ish. T for Language


At first glance, Jasper Whitlock Hale looks like he's in control of his world. He resembles a proud lion, strong and fearless. But it's in the little moments when his guards are dropped that his true face is shown, and it's a face that's scarred from the past fears and pains, a face that makes you want to save him from himself. Alice is trying so hard to save him, but she can't. The two of them are polar opposites. She has no fear of things that could be or might have been, and she has no fear for what the future will send her way—she can see it all before it hits her. She has no left over pain from her memories of her life, because her memories were wiped away after her change. She was granted a new beginning with an entirely blank slate to build memories upon. Jasper is haunted still by memories of all of the battles that he fought and the lives that he stole. I can sympathize with Jasper.

"Bella!" Edward cries, and I turn to look at him. "Bella, love, please understand, I left for your safety! I made Jasper and my family leave so that you'd be safe!"

I wish it is possible to make someone spontaneously combust from a glare, because that is what Edward deserves at this moment. However, it isn't possible, so I'll have to settle for words. "Edward, you insensitive asshole," and even I am shocked by the fact that I just cussed, "did you even stop to think about what your brother is going through now? Jasper's been so nice to me, and he just tried to _eat_ me. How do you think he feels right now!" I snarl, and continue my angry stalk to the door that leads to the yard where I'm sure Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie are now.

Rosalie stares at me when I appear from the house, and Emmett's low chuckle reminds me that I'm in a house full of vampires—they all heard my angry speech just now. "Well, okay, so I guess I didn't really need to come outside, then. But I wanted to. Jasper, it wasn't your fault. You snapped at me because you were dealing with not only your own bloodlust, but everyone else's, too. Well, everyone else's but Carlisle's." I amend, and suddenly a cool hand is cradling my cheek. I stare up into pale honey-brown eyes that are warm, and gratitude colors the air around me. Jasper's smile is knee melting, but I control my emotional reaction and smile back at him. "See? You're much stronger than you think."

"Thank you, Bella," he whispers, and caresses my cheek softly before moving away. Emmett is staring at me with shock, and Rosalie looks like she's torn between ripping me to pieces or breaking down into dry sobs. Edward flickers into existence directly in front of me, blocking my view of Jasper's kind, sorrowful face.

"You arrogant moron!" Edward growls, and I'm attacked by anger and horror at the way Edward is treating Jasper. "You could've killed Bella, Jasper! You could've killed her!"

"He didn't, so isn't that fine, Edward?" I whisper, and Edward's angry face swings to look at me.

"You could've _died_, Isabella!"

I straighten. "Isn't that the truth every single day of my life, Edward?" Realization flickers into his molten topaz eyes, and I snort. "So late, your brain," I snap, and stalk off.

In those fifteen minutes that passed, I learned a lot of things about my vampire family. First, Edward isn't perfect, as he wants to be. He's a controlling jerk. Second, Rosalie and Emmett are very much more intuitive than they let on. Third, Carlisle and Esme knew that I wasn't ever meant to be Edward's. Fourth, Jasper Whitlock Hale is someone that I cannot be without. However, there is a complication with not being able to live without Jasper Whitlock Hale, and it's one that will maim my heart if I can't fix it.

Jasper's broken. I know that, and it hurts me. Because he is broken, I have to find a way to salvage the pieces of his heart. Beneath all of the shards of pain from his past life is a man who is strong, who loves and fights for love. Beneath all of the fears from his past, there is a dauntless man who knows no terror. "I will save you," I swear, "I will save you, if it's the last thing that I do." I will rescue the kind man who caresses my cheek so sweetly simply because I tell him how I feel about what happened earlier that night. If I can save him from his past, then I will be able to save him from a future of pain, terror, hurt, and death. I will save him from himself.


End file.
